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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalled Commission Meeting January 31, 2023 CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER January 31, 2023 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 31, 2023, the Honorable Garnett Johnson, Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. Johnson, Williams, Mason, Frantom, Garrett, Scott McKnight, Pulliam, Lewis and Guilfoyle, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Mr. Mayor: I would like to go ahead and call this meeting to order. You ready, Attorney Brown? Mr. Brown: Are we going to deal with going into executive session first or are we going to deal with number 3 first? Mr. Mayor: Let’s go to executive session first. Mr. Brown: Okay. th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the commissioner from the 7. Mr. Frantom: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This question is for the attorney. If there is questions you know obviously we’re not going to talk about the contract. That’s a month to month, but if there’s questions about the RFP procedures and moving forward, can we discuss that during this agenda item when we come back? Mr. Brown: No, sir. That would have to be, you would have to add a motion to the agenda to add, to have that discussion. Mr. Frantom: And that would have to be under Administrative Services, is that correct, based on what it is probably? Mr. Brown: I’m not sure which committees these fall under. The RFP – The Clerk: Yes, Procurement, that will be Administrative Services. Mr. Frantom: Yes, the only thing I’ll say is I think everybody up here needs to understand what the RFP process is and how it works and when it comes back in a week and I don’t think we even had that discussion. We just had the discussion of we wanted the zone, the RFP is created. I’m hoping that that committee will have a discussion because I think we need to educate the community on the process as well as educate ourselves on kind of what’s coming back so I’ll be asking for that. Hopefully we can have that discussion because I think it’s needed. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner. All right, are we prepared to go to legal? The Clerk: No, we need a motion. 1 1. LEGAL MEETING A. Pending and potential litigation B. Real estate C. Personnel Mr. Brown: Mayor Johnson, Commissioners, legal would request that we go into executive session for the discussion of pending and potential litigation, personnel and real estate as well as security. Ms. McKnight: Motion to approve. Mr. Mason: Second. Mr. Mayor: I have a motion and second. Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. We’ll go into legal. \[EXECUTIVE SESSION\] Mr. Mayor: I think we’re ready to call this meeting back to order. Mr. Attorney. Is there a request for the closed meeting affidavit? 2. Motion to authorize execution by the Mayor of the affidavit of compliance with Georgia’s Open Meeting Act. Mr. Brown: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mayor and Commissioners, we would request a motion to execute the closed meeting affidavit. Mr. Frantom: So move. Mr. Mason: Second. Mr. Johnson: Second. Mr. Mayor: We’re voting. The Clerk: Are we voting, sir? Mr. Mayor: Yes, ma’am. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. Attorney Brown, are there any more motions? 2 The Clerk: We need to address item number three, sir. Mr. Brown: No, we need to do the motions for – The Clerk: Yeah, you want me to ready it? Mr. Brown: We request a motion to adopt the resolution authorizing the settlement of all claims by John Singleton and Michelle Singleton in the aggregate amount of $15,000 payable as follows: John Singleton, Michelle Singleton and Durham Gray Law Firm as their attorney, further authorizing the Administrator to disburse this amount waiving Augusta, Georgia Code of Ordinances, Sections in conflict for this instance only and for all other purposes. Mr. Frantom: So moved. Mr. Williams: Second. Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, we have a motion and second. We’re prepared to vote. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Mr. Attorney, is there anything else before we proceed forward? Mr. Brown: Yes, sir. There is two other motions. We request a motion to adopt a resolution authorizing the settlement of all claims by Sandrika Hillary in the aggregate amount of $55,000 payable to Sandrika Hillary and Kenneth S. Nugent as her attorney, further authorizing the Administrator to disburse the amount of $55,000 waiving Augusta, Georgia Code of Ordinances Sections in conflict for this instance only and for other purposes. Mr. Frantom: So moved. Ms. Scott: Second. The Clerk: That’s Mr. Frantom and Ms. Scott. Mr. Mayor: All right, we have a motion and a second. Voting. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Madam Clerk, I think we’re ready to proceed. The Clerk: No, he has, the attorney, sir. He has one more. Mr. Brown: Mr. Mayor, finally we request a motion to adopt the resolution authorizing the settlement of all claims by Teresa Riddle in the aggregate amount of 3 $11,640.37 payable as follows: Teresa J. Riddle and Tucker Long PC as her attorney, further authorizing the Administrator to disburse the amount of $11,640.37 waiving Augusta, Georgia Code of Ordinances Sections in conflict for this instance only and for other purposes. Ms. McKnight: Motion to approve. Mr. Frantom: Second. Mr. Mayor: There’s a motion and a second. Madam Clerk, voting. The Clerk: Yes, sir. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Attorney Brown, does that conclude your motions? Mr. Brown: There are no further motions from the closed session, Your Honor. Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Madam Clerk, we’re ready to proceed with our special called meeting. The Clerk: We have one item on the agenda. 3. Motion to approve finalized month to month contract between Augusta, Georgia and Gold Cross for the provision of temporary EMS services. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. Looking at my colleagues, I don’t see anyone in st the queue. Commissioner Johnson from the 1. Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Just want to see if we can get a quick presentation highlight of the contract so that we can understand exactly what’s being proposed. Maybe from the Administrator or legal or whoever. Ms. Douse: Does everyone have a copy of the proposed contract? Mr. Johnson: Yes, ma’am, just received it. Ms. Douse: As stated last week this document was prepared with the, no, you don’t? The Clerk: Oh, she has one. She was thinking Ms. Scott didn’t. Ms. Douse: Thank you, Mayor Johnson. As was stated last week this contract was prepared with the previous MOU used as a basis. This contract has been discussed with Gold Cross representatives and they are in agreement with the document as presented. Whereas Gold Cross is the current or at the time is the current 911 zone provider for Augusta Richmond County and the Department of Public Health has stated that Gold Cross has surrendered their zone effective 4 January 31, the Richmond County zone effective January 31 of 2023 at 11:59 p.m. The Department of Health has identified Gold Cross as a temporary provider which has allowed Augusta to utilize them in this fashion from a month-to-month perspective until the State of Georgia has identified a permanent zone provider and until that permanent zone provider has began operations. There are definitions detailed here and the term of this contract again will begin on February 1 at 12:01 a.m. and shall continue on a month-to-month basis. It will still provide eight ambulances as well as it also identifies where those vehicles will be staged throughout this contract. Compensation is outlined as $250,000 for the first month and $150,000 for each month thereafter payable on the first of each month. The current fees, patient charges are identified under Article 3 under Compensation Section 3.1 which is identical to what the Commission approved in November of 2021. There will be a 30-day period for termination of this contract and all notices concerning any changes will be forwarded to the Office of the Administrator as well as Gold Cross in the event of such. Are there any additional questions? th Mr. Mayor: The Chair recognizes the commissioner from the 4. Mr. Mason: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. First and foremost, I’d just like to thank our Procurement Director, Ms. Sams, and those that worked on it to include Gold Cross for coming up with a temporary solution to a permanent problem and at this time I’d like to make a motion to have Gold Cross be our temporary provider for ambulance response and emergency medical services by the contract that has been presented before us. Mr. Guilfoyle: Second. Ms. McKnight: Second. Mr. Mayor: All right, we have a motion – The Clerk: That’s Mr. Mason and Mr. Guilfoyle. I think they were first. Mr. Mayor: So, Madam Clerk, we have a motion and a second. We’re prepared to vote. Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Mayor: Thank you, ma’am. Attorney Brown. Mr. Brown: There’s nothing further from legal, Mayor Johnson. Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, I think that was the only item we had on our agenda for the special called meeting. The Clerk: Yes, sir. Mr. Mayor: Are we now prepared to move into our committee meetings? The Clerk: All right. 5 \[MEETING ADJOURNED\] Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission CERTIFICATION: I, Lena J. Bonner, Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Called Meeting of the Augusta Richmond County Commission held on January 31, 2023. ______________________________ Clerk of Commission 6